


I Lost Myself Again (But I Remember You)

by constellationsandcolors



Category: Runaways (Comics), Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-13 07:15:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21490471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constellationsandcolors/pseuds/constellationsandcolors
Summary: Nico takes a few steps forward, raising a hand as she slowly approaches her.“It’s me.” she says, once she’s close enough for a private conversation. She smiles slightly as she takes in Karolina’s soft, flushed cheeks. It’s a conscious effort to keep herself from reaching out to feel their warmth, only stopped by the sudden realization of how lost her alert, blue eyes are.Karolina gives a slight shake of her head, desperately searching Nico for an answer. “I don’t know who you are.”Chase lowers the fistigons. “Oh, shit.”Gert is shaking her head, and Molly wrings her hands together as she turns away from the scene. Alex lowers himself onto the steps, dragging his hands over his face.Karolina's features pinch together, though her confused expression quickly morphs as moisture begin to collect in the corners of the other girl’s eyes.“I’m sorry.” she offers helplessly as Nico starts to turn away, feeling a foreign tug at the way the girl begins to crumble.------This fic is exploration of what season three might have looked like if Karolina's memories had been altered while she was captured.
Relationships: Chase Stein/Gertrude Yorkes, Karolina Dean/Nico Minoru
Comments: 16
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter 1

Nico groans as she steps into the familiar shadows of their hideout, taking stock of the various aches that stretch through her body. The side of her head and torso throb painfully as she makes her way down the hall, the walk from the destroyed Pride communications center already faded. She’s taken aback the moment she steps into the atrium, wincing as Molly wraps her arms too tightly around her abdomen. 

“You made it.” 

“Yeah. I’m not sure how though. ” she responds, shooting the younger girl an apologetic glance as she pulls away. “It’s a little fuzzy.”

“Hey! Everybody okay?” 

The two of them look up to see Alex striding in from the opposite entrance. A hollowness begins to settle at their diminished company, an unpleasant buzz ringing in Nico’s ears.

“Yeah, but,” Molly looks around. “Where’s Gert?”

He frowns at them, glancing over their shoulders. “I thought she was with you?”

“We got split up,” the smaller girl responds nervously. “I was sure she’d make it.”

“Same with me and Karolin-” Nico’s voice falters. “Oh god.” 

A sudden, horrifying revelation creeps into her mind as the two of them turn to look at her. “No, no- I-” Her breathing quickens, every desperate inhale tinged with a painful spasm from her bruised rib. “I knew we should have stayed together.”

“She’ll be back, they both will.” Molly reassures her.

Perhaps they both need to hear it, but Nico’s hands begin to tremble, the consolation falling on deaf ears. 

“No Molly, Chase was right about this, about our parents,” Her words become frantic. “They won, and they won’t stop-”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Alex interjects.

Molly loses some of her composure as Nico breaks. “What if they already mind wiped Gert? What if I never get to see her again?”

A strangled cry escapes the smaller girl. “I can’t lose Karolina like I lost Amy. I can’t- I can’t-”

The three of them look up, disheveled, as Xavin’s light footsteps echo across the room. Leslie, having heard their rising voices, makes her way down the stairs. Her eyes scan the group as she reaches the bottom. “Where’s Karolina?” 

Nico can’t say anything, can’t think, can’t breathe. 

“I’ve failed,” Xavin announces. “The magistrate has her. The one you call Jonah.” 

Nico’s attention snaps forward. “Jonah’s dead. I killed him.” The events of the past few weeks- fighting with Karolina, her inescapable guilt- wash over her.  
“You killed his host,” Xavin corrects, but Nico is too far gone to be annoyed. “The body his energy inhabited.”

Alex pales slightly. “He can’t be killed?”

“The magistrate will be difficult to destroy, but not impossible,” Xavin continues. “Unfortunately, he’s not the only one we’ll need to kill to get Karolina back. It’s his family as well.”

A brief, suffocating silence follows her words, broken as Molly chokes out the conclusion they’d all came to. “So it’s not just our parents we’re up against-”

“But a family of aliens as well.” Leslie finishes, wrapping her arms protectively around her swollen stomach.

“And we’re all that’s left?” Nico chokes out, looking between the four of them. She can hear the way her chest constricts in each ragged breath she lets out. She pretends not to notice Leslie’s features softening sympathetically.

“Hey, hey! It’s okay,” Alex says, but Nico shudders as a few involuntary sobs escape her. “We’re gonna figure it out. We have each other.”

Nico lifts her hands over her head, doubling over as the weight of their horrific reality settles around her. Her eyes sting, with Karolina’s promise of reunion burning tracks down her cheeks as the others surround her, holding her up as she begins to fall apart.

\----------

A week passes. Maybe two, but the sleepless nights and agonizingly slow days become harder to distinguish from one another the longer they wait around.

After her breakdown, she’d tried to go after her. Composed herself long enough to throw together a reckless plan, only to be stopped by Molly when she’d attempted to go after Karolina alone. 

It was only Alex’s reminder of the danger she’d be putting Karolina in with a failed attempt that she had resigned, retreating to one of the empty rooms, only emerging to eat and shower. A meal would be placed outside her door some nights, and when it wasn’t, she’d silently make her way into the dining room, settle into a chair and ignore whatever conversation the others were having until she could retreat back into her room without a word.

In some cruel twist of fate, Xavin was becoming an indispensable part of their cause. She’d be infuriated if Karolina were here, but having another alien on their side was proving to be more helpful to them than she cared to admit.

Leslie had taken her leave a few days after the ambush.

“I’m not much help here.” She confesses.

Alex rolls his eyes. “Not much help anywhere.”

She ignores him, her attention falling onto Nico. “Can I speak with you?”

“Actually, maybe there is something you can do.” Alex interrupts.

Leslie shakes her head. “Anything.”

“Think you can spare enough Gibborum money to get me a decent set up?” he asks, tilting his head slightly. “As much as I love these vintage parts, we’re gonna need some more manpower to pull of this kind of heist.”

Leslie nods. “I can get it here before the end of the night. Anything specific?”

“I’d prefer if we stayed away from Wizard tech,” he says, looking at Nico. “No offense.”

“None taken,” she says dismissively. “I’d raze it to the ground if I could get close enough.”

Alex smiles, before gesturing for the older woman to follow him. “I’ll get you a list.”

\----------

Leslie managed to get all of Alex’s supplies within a few hours. Half a dozen computers, lifted from a few of PRIDE’S less frequented headquarters. They were outdated by a few years, but their components were more than enough for what Alex needed. He thanked her, moving all of them into his room and beginning to strip them.

Leslie gathered the three remaining runaways into the dining room that night. A weighted silence pressed between the four of them as the kids sat down. 

“I’m sorry,” Leslie had sighed, looking at each one of them. “For the part I played in all of this.”

Nico clenched her jaw, unimpressed.

“You are all so… unbelievably intelligent. And _strong._ But-” The older woman had actually gotten choked up. “You should have never had to grow up this fast. That is on me, and the rest of your parents.”

Alex and Molly nodded, but offered no response. 

It was Nico who spoke first, weary and tense. “I appreciate the sentiment, Mrs. Dean, but I think it’s a little too late for apologies.”

Leslie nodded, folding her hands in front of her. “I don’t expect forgiveness.”

“Wise.” Alex quipped.

Leslie ignored him. “Can I speak with Nico privately?”

Molly rose to her feet, ushering Alex out of the room. Leslie took a seat opposite the smaller girl.

“I’m glad it’s you.” She’d offered finally.

Nico remained quiet, and trained her attention on her lap.

“I don’t think that Karolina feels like she has a home to come back to,” Leslie whispered. “Not a physical one, anyway.”  
Nico swallowed, blinking away the moisture that had started to prick at the corners of her eyes.

“You love her.” Leslie stated.

Nico raised her head. The word had left her softly. 

“Yes.”

Mrs. Dean gave her a watery smile. “She loves you too, Nico. She has for a while. Since before all of this started,” She gestured to the hostel.

Nico inhaled tremulously. She would never apologize to Leslie, but the guilt that pressed against her chest the past couple of days gave way. 

“I shouldn’t have let her go.” She whispered.

Leslie rose to her feet, stopping to crouch beside Nico. She reached for one of her hands tentatively.

Nico stiffened, but didn’t pull away.

“It was her choice, Nico-”

She held up a finger as she saw the younger girl about to protest.

“What I mean is-” She corrected. “She would have done it regardless. You know, probably more than anyone- more than me, at this point- that Karolina has always seen the best in people.”

Nico only nodded, not trusting herself to speak any further.

“You were worth saving. She let you go, because she probably knew they’d need you,” Mrs. Dean had used her free hand to point to the empty atrium. “And because she trusted you to see the next step through.”


	2. Half Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang must come together to devise a plan to break their friends free. Jonah alone was a lot to handle, and now he's got company. Down the only alien on their side and the one person who could help them figure out a way in, the runaways have to develop an escape plan. Of course, their plans never stick once put into motion, but with Karolina and Chase's lives in the balance, a failed attempt could mean disaster.

Leslie left the hostel quietly, refusing the meager security they could offer her. Xavin accompanied her anyway, returning within an hour.

“I was able to escort Mrs. Dean to a guest house safely.” they announce at they enter the dining room.

Nico and Molly look up from the blueprints scattered on the table to greet them, though quickly return to their work. After a moment's hesitation, Nico steps to the side to invite Xavin into their session. They move to stand beside her.

“Alex found the plans for each of our houses,” Nico points to each one in turn. “Stein’s, the Dean’s and mine.”

Xavin’s attention falls onto the schematics. “There are six schematics here.”

“Alex tipped off the police about his parents,” Molly answers quietly. “They’re not at his house.”

“I’d be on his ass about that if we weren’t dealing with all of this.” Nico sighs, lifting a hand to rub her temples.

A corner of Molly’s mouth twtiches up. “Multitasking is a thing.”

The younger girl’s response pulls a smile from Nico, though it fades quickly. “The Stein’s have a whole underground lab, so they’re probably being kept there-”

“Under an impressive security system.” Xavin finishes.

Molly and Nico turn to look at them. 

“Yes,” Nico responds, shaking her head. “Have you seen it?”

“Not closely,” Xavin amends. “While I was looking for Karolina, I visited each of your houses.”

Nico ignores their reasoning. “Is there anything you can tell us?”

Xavin thinks for a moment. “It’s likely that the magistrate- Jonah- has made modifications to the system, but I believe I know a few alternative entrances to the laboratory,” they point to the Stein’s blueprint. “One of them is not drawn on here.”

“They’re a few years old,” Nico explains, quieting the small flicker of hope that blooms inside her. “Once we know for sure, you and I can go do recon.”

Xavin nods, and almost smiles.

That is, until an alarm sounds, reverberating unpleasantly throughout the hostel. Nico slips her staff out of her back holster, already running. 

“Molly, stay behind me!” Nico instructs, the younger girl running close behind.

Alex sprints out of his hideaway, joining them in the atrium. “Something set off the sensors. West hallway!”

Nico rounds the corner first, the four of them skidding to a halt as she stops. A shadowed figure stands at the other end, raising their hands in the air.

“What the _hell?” _ There’s a distinct familiarity to the bite in the stranger’s tone.

“Gert!” Molly exclaims, pushing past them. Gert meets her halfway, arms open as her sister crashes into her. 

Alex runs off somewhere, and the sirens quiet.

They pull apart after a moment. Molly launches into a barrage of questions. “Where did you go? Are you okay? Did you escape? Did-” she quiets as Gert holds up a polite hand.

“I’m fine.” Gert assures her, stepping into the light.

Nico steps forward to embrace her, catching both of them by surprise.

“What happened?” Nico questions. Unable to help herself, she looks at the empty hall behind her. “Is Karolina with you?”

Gert shakes her head. “I’m actually only here by luck. I got caught.”

Nico nods, hoping her disappointment isn’t too obvious.

“By Jonah?” Alex questions incredulously.

“Jonah?” Gert interjects, though she closes her eyes, waving a hand. “You know what? Later. No, my mom knocked me out, and then I woke up locked in the back of Dale’s car. Mom was… different.”

Molly, Alex, and Nico share a glance. 

“Stacey is the second host.” Alex sighs.

Gert looks between them. “Host?”

“Jonah isn’t dead,” Nico clarifies, wincing as the memory of that night resurfaces. “When his ship exploded, his family wasn’t killed either. They all inhabited new vessels.”

“Some of which are our parents,” Alex adds. He crosses his arms, working through a thought for a moment. “You know, after using him for so long, I’m willing to bet that Jonah chose Chase’s dad for his next body. It’s probably why we haven’t heard from him."

Gert pales slightly, expression shifting. “Chase isn’t here?”

Nico shakes her head, sympathetic to the visible worry that washes over the other girl. She faces Alex, leaning on her staff. “How do we know he’s in any danger?”

Alex quirks an eyebrow. “I know he wasn’t in our good graces before all of this, but do you think he’d just sit back if he saw they’d caught Karolina?”

Nico closes her eyes. “No.”

Gert runs a hand through her hair. “So now what?”

“First, we research,” Alex replies, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. “We need to confirm if they’re in the Stein’s basement before we launch any sort of attack,” He glances at Xavin and Nico. “I heard you two mention something about recon?”

Xavin nods.

“It might be a good idea if you shift into someone a little less recognizable when we get to that step.”

“Of course.” 

Alex bounces on his heels. “Okay. Between the school computer and the parts Leslie dropped off, I might be able to get into the Stein’s camera system,” He swallows. “It will take some time, but I should be able to do it without being detected.”

“Why not just shut the whole thing down?” Molly questions.

“Because they’ll know we’re coming.” Alex replies simply.

“The element of surprise is pretty much all we have at the moment.” Nico finishes, earning a scoff from Gert.

“You _literally_ have a magic wand.”

“Which will be useless if the have anymore of the scramblers,” Nico points out. The subject brings back splitting up with Karolina, so she changes the topic. “How did you get away from Dale?”

The distraction catches Gert off-guard. “Oh-uh, he let me go.” She shrugs at their confusion.

“He must’ve put some of what you guys said together, because he decided to take Old Lace and I on the lamb,” she continues. “To the lake house.” She adds, rolling her eyes.

Molly scoffs. “That’s like, textbook kidnapping.”

“I know!” Gert replies. “He had a change of heart after he bound me to a chair,” Her eyes light up. “Bastard isn’t completely awful, though. He gave me some cheat codes for Old Lace.”

Molly’s expression lightens. “Is she here?”

“She’s off finding some coyotes to eat, but yeah,” Gert closes her eyes. “She’s on her way back, actually.”

“Wait,” Nico interrupts. “You can see where she is?”

“I can _pilot_ her.”

The deinonychus appears with a happy trill a few seconds later, running down the hallway to gently nuzzle Molly.

Alex clears his throat, though he smiles at the scene. “Gert, I’m really glad you’re back,” he announces earnestly. “I’m going to go see what I can do.”

The group bids him goodbye, though all of them start to walk to the center of the mansion. Nico trails behind the other three, though Gert falls back to meet her stride when she notices.

“What happened to Karolina?” Gert asks gently. “You don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.” she adds quickly.

Nico shakes her head. Gert is Karolina’s friend, too. “The two of us got cornered in a cave. She promised she’d be back, and led the drone away, but-” The rest of the explanation gets caught in her throat. “It’s been over a week.”

Gert’s features soften. “She’s fine, Nico. We’re gonna get her back.”

“I know, but I’m not going to believe that until she’s here, safe.”

She remembers the other girl also has someone she cares about in the hands of the aliens. 

“He’s still a little shit for what he did, but we’ll get Chase.” Nico says, using her elbow to gently prod Gert’s side.

She nods, smiling weakly. “He’ll get the lecture after the celebration.”

\----------

With Alex still preoccupied, the four other inhabitants return to the maps. Gert offers a few tips from her brief visits to Chase’s house.

Nico lowers herself into a chair at the opposite end after the second hour. 

“This doesn’t feel productive anymore.” 

She knows that they can’t move forward without Alex’s confirmation, but she feels an unpleasant pressure behind her eyes as the restlessness that had been building since they’d been split up starts to rear its head.

The others give up on their scouring at her dismissal, quietly sitting down.

“They should be safe, for the time being,” Xavin quips softly. “They are the only leverage the magistrates have.”

“Which means they would be willing to hurt them to get to us.” Nico snaps, exhaling as Xavin looks down. 

“Xavin, I’m sorry-” Nico begins.

They look up. “It’s alright. This ordeal is causing a great deal of stress. While my feelings don’t manifest the same way as yours, this predicament is not satisfactory.”

“Understatement.” Molly sighs, resting her head on her hands.

“The burden of losing Karolina is not yours to bear alone, Nico.” They finish softly.

A lump forms in Nico’s throat at the earnestness in their words. She opens her mouth to respond, but is interrupted by quick footsteps echoing through the lobby.

Alex appears in the doorway, breathless. “I got into the lab’s mainframe,” he says, grinning. “Follow me.”

The four gather in Alex’s room in less than a minute, squinting against the harsh glow of the screens. Thousands of lines of code scroll autonomously as he settles into his seat. 

“So it took some doing, but I was able to get through their defenses without being detected,” He starts, moving the mouse as he rambles. “They don’t know we have access- and I’ve designed a program to keep it that way-”

“Alex,” Gert interjects. “As much as I love the play-by-play, let’s leave the semantics of cybersecurity for later.”

“Right. Not a good time,” His eyes follow the moving lines of text and numbers for a few moments, before he lets out an affirmative grunt. With just a few taps, security footage floods the three monitors, giving them several unobstructed angles of the unoccupied lab. 

“Oh my god.” Gert whispers.

Nico’s attention, which had settled ravenously on the tube farthest to the right briefly flits from the blonde figure to see Janet and Chase Stein contained in the other vestibules.

Alex leans back in his chair, drawing a hand over his face. “Three people. We have to save _three_ people-”

Nico swallows as her gaze falls back onto Karolina’s still body. Even through the grainy security feed, there is an unhealthy pallor to her skin. Alex switches the camera, and she can see dark circles under the other woman’s eyes. Chase and Janet, on the other hand, look relatively unscathed.

Nico turns away, breathing hard. “They’re using her.”

The group is silent. What reconciliation could they offer? The Stein’s healthy exteriors confirmed a fear that Nico didn’t fully conceptualize until this moment. She shakes off the hand Alex places on her shoulder, and turns around with tears in her eyes.

“They're keeping themselves alive with her energy,” she whispers hoarsely. The pressure behind her eyes returns violently, burning the edges of her vision. “We have to do something. _Now._”

She starts toward the foyer, almost screaming when she feels someone grip her arm. She rounds, the protest dying in her throat when she sees that it’s Molly who is holding her back. Moisture pools at the bottom of her eyes.

“I want them back,” Molly says thickly. “But Nico, storming in there with no idea what you’re up against is only going to make things worse.”

Nico remains still, muscles still tensed.

“I can’t lose you too.” Molly says finally, and the tremulous edges of her words is what undoes Nico. The younger girl releases her as her muscles loosen. 

Nico lowers herself onto one of Alex’s steps, folding her arms over her legs and burying her head in the space between. She doesn't care that the rest of them are watching, and lets her body shake with the sobs she’d been holding onto for the past seven days. It only last a few moments, and it doesn’t help, but she feels slightly less heavy by the end of it.

“How much longer are we going to leave them there?” Nico asks finally, shifting her attention onto Alex.

The worry that had crept into his features melts with fresh determination. “Two days.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I hope you're enjoying this so far. I have about 16 pages of this written so far- most of the major plot points I want are written down already, so it's just a matter of me writing the stuff to piece them together. I am going to try to update this as regularly as possible; I started this fic a few months ago, but, for some odd reason, got a burst of inspiration following the news of the cancellation. I want to ride it as long as possible. 
> 
> I do have finals coming up, so updates might slow over the next two weeks or so, but I will do my best to try and have the rest of it out just before or soon after the premiere of the last season on December 13th.


	3. Room to Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a reconnaissance mission reveals no new information, the Runaways put their heads together to figure out a way to get their friends back- in one piece, hopefully.

Xavin offered to stakeout the Stein’s house for a few hours, and leaves at once. The rest of them retire for the night, Nico having settled into a new room the night Karolina had been taken. 

She lays in bed for a few hours. A bitter laugh slips free as she thinks of using the staff to force herself into a restful slumber, until she remembers she wasted that spell on their parents at the dig site. The sound turns hoarse, fading as a sudden wave of grief rears its head. 

Nico turns on her side, pressing her head into a pillow as it passes. Already familiar with having to keep quiet, she waits until her skull begins to pound before lifting her face. Her eyes are dry and empty, but a borderless moisture stain lingers on the pillowcase. She flips it over, resigning herself to another sleepless night.

Daybreak comes sooner than the inching time seemed to warrant. Nico sits up, throwing together an outfit and setting about on her makeup.

Alex rouses Molly and Gert, finding Nico already awake when he quietly slips into the dark room. The sun still hidden behind the horizon, so her preparedness comes as a surprise.

“You’re up.” he observes.

Nico turns from the mirror, hands moving through her hair as she starts to part it into sections. Something in her slow, meticulous movements tells Alex that she didn’t sleep, but he lets it go as she follows him out of the room. 

Molly and Gert opt to sit on one of the lower stairs, Nico propping herself against a railing. Alex makes his way to the bottom.

“Xavin should be back soon.”

No one is awake enough to hold a conversation, so Alex receives only a few lazy nods in response. A few minutes pass by, the silence occasionally broken by the creaking of the older house, or the huff of a soft yawn that keeps getting passed between the four of them.

Xavin announces their presence with a soft _whoosh_, the stranger that had walked into the lobby disappearing as they shapeshift into their familiar form.

“I did not get any visual on the brother.” they announce.

Alex sighs. “It was a long shot to begin with.”

Xavin glances at Nico as she turns away from the group, gripping her staff tightly. “I think we need to consider an alternative theory. Finding the son’s identity as soon as possible is imperative to all of our safety.”

“Yeah, we’ve pieced that together,” Gert responds, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “How are we supposed to know who the last two hosts are?”

“PRIDE should be hosting a press release soon- we’ll see which of our parents attend, and try and spot any clues.” Alex offers, turning to Xavin. “You said that Stacey and Victor are probably Jonah and his wife.”

“Yes.”

He nods. “So that just leaves the two kids. Do you think the daughter will be hard to find?”

Xavin lets out a noise that might have been an attempt at a scoff, though it winds up sounding like they’re just clearing their throat. The kids look at them. “The daughter will be easy to spot. She’s… a narcissist.”

Gert raises a hand, casting an apologetic glance at Nico. “It might be Tina.” 

Despite their complicated relationship, Nico isn’t thrilled at the thought of her mother being possessed. It doesn’t matter, anyhow. None of them can afford to think about trying to sort out that mess until everyone is back. _One step at a time._

“Does the son have any tells we should be looking out for?” Nico questions, unfazed.

Xavin’s attention falls on her. “His insubordination and cruelty is what forced the magistrates to flee Madjesdane in the first place. He is likely happy to be operating without any interference or input from his mother or father.”

“So he’s been putting on a good act as one of our parents,” Alex points out, turning to the others. “Right now we’ve got Stacey, Victor, possibly Tina-”

Xavin stops him. “Your parents weren’t the only people close to the ship when it exploded, from what you all have told me.”

A short silence follows Xavin’s words. “Are you saying it could be inside one of us?” Alex questions.

Xavin nods slowly. 

Molly steps closer to Gert. “Is there any way we can, I don’t know,” she waves a hand. “Do a test?”

Xavin gives a slight nod. “The inhibitors the magistrate used to capture Karolina might-”

Nico’s wandering thoughts disappear at the mention of the other girls name, a burning heat spreading beneath her skin. “You _saw_ her get captured?”

Their conversation at the dinner table replays in her mind. _The burden of losing Karolina is not yours to bear alone, Nico._

“I attempted to stop Jonah-” they start.

_“Attempted?”_ Nico snarls. “You’re a _ fucking alien!”_

Xavin tenses, lips curling. “If I’m not mistaken, you weren’t eager to include me on the mission. Perhaps she would’ve stood a better chance if you’d allowed me to accompany her-”

They’re cut off as Nico lunges for her staff. Molly and Alex stand in front of her, the younger girl’s eyes widening. She’s in control this time, though, and only struggles slightly against the other two as they hold her back, breathing heavily.

One of Alex’s old televisions blares a news signal, distracting them. Nico turns slowly, jaw twinging as they look down at the screen.

Victor, Stacey and Tina stride onto the press stage, Mrs. Minoru twirling a strand of her hair as Victor- Jonah- starts his address.

“Is that Stacey?” Molly questions incredulously. Gert gives the younger girl a grim nod.

Nico shakes her head. “My mom is wearing pink?”

“Alex, turn it up.” Gert instructs.

_ “Thirty-six hours ago, a gas leak lead to an explosion that destroyed our headquarters, and Robert Minoru.” _

A security video replaces the conference. The PRIDE communication headquarters. Nico and her parents face each other, before she slams the end of the staff on the ground. Her parents are blown backwards as the glass surrounding Nico shatters, covering them in thousands of shards and assorted office debris.

Nico goes cold. The other runaways are quiet, stealing glances at her as Victor’s face reappears. 

Alex turns to look at her. “Did you know about your dad?”

She’s frozen, shaking her head as blood begins to pound in her ears. “I don’t remember much about what happened after Karolina and I-” Her voice falters. “After we split up.”

_“Robert is in intensive care at the University of Los Angeles Medical Center and we’re praying for his… full and speedy recovery, aren’t we Tina?”_

The camera pans to Nico’s mother, who mumbles a childish agreement, before striking a pose for one of the photographers. 

“What is my mom doing?” Nico stutters, taking the distraction.

Xavin steps to the front of the group. “That’s the daughter.”

Alex crosses his arms. “How does it work?”

“What happens to the person already in there?” Molly follows up immediately.

“It’s unpleasant,” Xavin answers cooly. “The alien slowly takes over until the host is gone completely. Extinguished.”

Mrs. Yorkes forces her way to the podium. 

_“This is a message for a missing family member. You are aware of who you are. The moment has come to return home. Now.” _

Stacey awkwardly holds up a cellphone for the camera. 

_“Reach us on our communication devices and we will retrieve you immediately, no questions asked.”_

“Who is she talking to?” Molly questions.

“Her son.” Xavin replies.

“Gert and I don’t have a brother-”

Xavin stops her. “There is a fourth member of the magistrate’s family. The darkest and most dangerous of them all.”

Nico steps away from the group, letting the conversation fall behind her. Goosebumps rise along her arms. She keeps her eyes trained on the moth-bitten curtains covering Alex’s window. “How do we know who he’s inside of?”

“We don’t.”

Nico closes her eyes, letting out a quiet exhale before turning back around. Victor resumes his position.

_ “Finally, we would like to denounce the racially motivated charges against Geoffrey and Katherine Wilder. We’re confident the Wilders will be fully exonerated. Obviously, PRIDE is not an organization that tolerates any sort of criminal behavior-” _

Alex gives everyone a start as he slams his hand onto his desk. “Or you’re all a bunch of psychotic _assholes_ who deserve to rot in jail.” he spits.

_“PRIDE will be suspending operations for the time being, but we expect to be back stronger, and better than ever. Our return will be unforgettable.” _

Victor looks directly into the camera before slipping out of frame.

Gert places a hand on her shoulder. “Remember, that’s PRIDE up there. If they’re speaking into a microphone, it’s probably a lie.”

The group disperses after Alex shuts off the monitor. Nico remains as the others slip out of 

Alex’s hideaway, taking a breath as she faces him.  
“Do you think it’s inside me?” Nico questions suddenly.

His features soften slightly. A corner of Alex’s mouth twitches into a smile. “No offense Nico, but you seem like a pretty hostile host.”

Nico lets out a reluctant laugh, but his calm faith does little to assuage her worries. The shattered remnants of the PRIDE communications center swim to the forefront of her mind- the news feed her only recollection of the event. She feels like a stranger from the girl who blasted her parents in the security video.

“Thanks,” she offers, finally. “I think.”

\----------- 

They reconvene in Alex's room an hour later.

“We need to know what we’re up against,” Alex points out. “If I can hack into their servers, I might be able to find a design that could help us.”

“The Magistrate had pods that made Karolina sick,” Xavin offers quietly, avoiding the piercing stare Nico turns on her. “It’s what he used to capture her.” 

Nico feels a pressure in her chest, and the edges of her eyes begin to burn. She swallows it.

“You think it was made out of the same stuff as her bracelet?” Molly suggests.

Alex gives his computer a final click. “We’re about to find out.”

Hundreds of schematics flash across one of the monitors. Alex types a few keywords into the search query.

“There!” Xavin shouts. Alex quickly stops the automated scrolling. A device in the shape of a dodecahedron fills the screen.

_“Damn,”_ Alex whistles as the program zooms in on its components. “Look at that thing!”

Alex’s curiosity aside, the clue does nothing to help their situation. “It’s not like we can go pick up the parts.” Nico points out tersely.

“The inhibitors are likely in the Magistrate’s home.” Xavin offers.

Nico rolls her eyes. “Which is guarded by a nuclear-base level security system.” 

Alex is quiet, before he exhales deeply. “We’re just going to have to use the best weapons we have.”

Molly nudges him with her elbow. “Each other?” 

Alex spares her a smile, nodding before turning to the rest of the group. “To hell with being careful. We know the Stein’s house, and we’ve got a witch, she-hulk, and an alien of our own.”  
Ever the pragmatic type, Alex’s optimism and willingness to forgo a more logical plan sends a ripple of laughter between the four other runways. Old Lace gives a trill out in the lobby. 

He claps his hands together. “We’re gonna get them back. Everyone be ready to go in an hour.”

\----------

Nico meets Gert and Molly in the lobby at the same time. Alex joins them, thrusting the X-Ray goggles into a small bag hoisted around his shoulder. 

“You guys got everything?” he asks.

Nico scoffs. “It’s not like we’ve got a lot of equipment.”

Alex indulges in the joke for a moment. “Alright, let’s go-”

“Wait!” Xavin calls out, descending the stairs. They join the back of the group as they face them. “Before we leave, there’s something we need to discuss.”

“And what would that be?” Nico questions dryly. 

Xavin presses their lips together for a moment, letting the sarcasm go. “The Magistrates are ruthless. You must strike first and land a mortal blow.”

“Got it.” Nico, Alex, and Gert say in unison.

Gert faces Molly as she registers her silence. “Molly?”

The younger girl looks sheepish for a moment, but clenches her jaw. “Isn’t there a way we can just kill the aliens and leave our parents alone?”

Although subtle, Xavin’s features soften. “It is believed that strong emotions can cause a host to resurface-”

While Nico would love to reassure Molly, she doesn’t want her putting herself in danger on a flimsy possibility. She holds up a hand, cutting Xavin off. “We can’t take that chance.”  
Molly looks down.

“Molly,” Nico says quietly. “You need to be prepared to do this. I don’t want you to get hurt by trying something that might not even work.”

The smaller girl nods. “I don’t want any of you to get hurt either.” she admits softly.

Nico pulls her into a hug. “Then we might have to fight back. Are you prepared to do that?” She hates that she has to ask her such a heavy question, but she can’t risk losing her on a wish.

Molly gives a quiet sniffle, nodding into Nico’s neck before pulling out of the embrace. Nico gives her shoulder one last reassuring squeeze. On her signal, the group heads for the hostels exit.

\-----------

As they made their way to the Stein’s residence, Alex had the idea to use the alien’s search for their missing family member to their advantage. Xavin planted themselves across town, as far away from the Stein’s house as they could get without leaving. When all of them were in place, she would shapeshift into Gert, and reach out to the Magistrates, pretending to be the son. 

It wasn’t foolproof, and she was sure that the ruse wouldn’t last long, but it was better than nothing.

Gert and Molly sit hidden in some foliage at the other end of the property, ready to rendezvous at their signal.

She and Alex plant themselves in the bushes outside of Chase’s home. Alex reaches into a small satchel, retrieving the pair of X-Ray goggles they’d smuggled from those houses so long ago. He draws in a sharp breath.

“I see them,” he whispers. “Well, their bodies at least. They’re in the basement.”

Nico is tempted to ask for the goggles, but resists. They’re running on limited time. “Can you see any of the aliens?”

Alex sweeps his head around, looking at all corners of the expansive home.  
“  
I don’t think so,” he takes off the glasses, returning them to his bag. “When Chase saw  
Jonah in the church, he said that they were bright but-”

His eyes narrow.  
Nico raises an eyebrow. “But, what?”

“The house looks empty, aside from-”

She doesn’t let him finish. Nico rises to her feet, ignoring Alex’s protest as she jogs across the street. She raises the staff before she crosses into the view of a security camera.

_“Blur.”_

The device whirrs softly, before clicking erratically. It trains its lens on the ground after a moment.

Alex joins her, panting. He grips her forearm as she starts to move towards the front gate. “Nico, what are you doing-”

She turns, pulling out of his grasp. “They’re gone, Alex!” She is surprised at the desperation that seeps into her tone. “What other window are we going to have? We can go in and try to get them now, or wait until the aliens come and lose any chance to get her-”

Nico’s voice catches. “To get them.” she corrects.

“Karolina’s really important to you, isn’t she?” he asks softly. 

“More than anything.”

He nods. He raises a hand, motioning for the two other girls to join them. They emerge from their spot, and start to make their way down the street.

A part of her wants to apologize. “This couldn’t have been what you wanted the night you got us all back together.” she admits quietly.  
“  
What I wanted was to make you happy,” he corrects, a corner of his mouth pulling upwards. “It seems like I succeeded in that.”

His kind response pulls an unexpected gratitude from her, but she doesn’t get the chance to thank him before Gert and Molly join them.

“What’s going on?” Molly questions.

“The aliens aren’t inside,” he answers, already stepping to push the gate open. “Xavin’s decoy will give us some extra time. We’ll fight our way out if we have to. C’mon.” He starts to run as soon as he’s inside the driveway.

The three of them sprint after him. The front door opens with a simple turn of the handle. It’s almost _too_ easy.

Gert takes the lead once they’re inside the house, leading them down a series of hallways before descending a spiral staircase. Nico follows immediately after her. 

They step into the lab as they reach the bottom. Karolina, Chase, and Janet stand unnaturally still in the healing tubes. Gert freezes at the sight of them. 

Nico lets out a soft, involuntary whimper at the sight of the other girl, tired and pale, but still breathing with a light rosy tint in her cheeks. She's beautiful, and _alive._

She jogs over to the tube, resting the palm of her hand against the glass as she looks up at her. Her eyes scan the edges of the container. 

“How do we get them open?” she demands, forcing her attention onto Alex. It’s a moment before she registers the moisture on her cheeks. Gert joins her, standing at the base of Chase’s tube.

He moves towards one of the computers closest to the tubes, fingers brushing along the keyboard. Each minute feels like an hour. 

“Okay,” he says finally. “I think I’ve got access to Chase and Karolina. Janet’s system is heavily encrypted, and it’s going to take a lot more-”

“We don’t have time.” Nico snaps.

“Nico’s right,” Gert says weakly, tearing her attention away from Chase. “They’ll need her for something.”

Alex nods, hitting a few buttons. A series of beeps echo through the lab, and the glass retracts.

Nico moves quickly as Karolina begins to fall, catching her before she hits the floor. She readjusts herself, holding back a sob as the taller woman’s weight settles into her lap. 

Chase retains some of his strength. He remains upright, squinting for a few moments after the veil lifts. He looks down, eyes widening.

“Gert? What-”

A soft rumbling cuts him off.

“They’re home.” Molly warns.

There’s no time to sneak out. Nico fumbles for her Staff, being as gentle as she can. She doesn’t know if it’ll work, but it might be their best shot. 

She closes her eyes, letting the hostel fill her mind. She thinks about the cobwebbed lobby, the broken chandelier, the creaking steps, and the dingy antique furniture. She draws in a breath.

_“Take us home!_

\-----------

Molly gently lowers Karolina onto one of the couches in the foyer, the four of them releasing a collective sigh as soon as the younger girl straightens. 

Gert turns and collapses into Chase’s arms, wrapping her own around tightly around his waist. 

Nico approaches the unconscious woman, lowering herself into a cross-legged position on the floor below Karolina’s head. She raises a hand to brush away the small strands of hair covering her face, biting her lower lip as it starts to quiver.

Molly and Alex share a glace, quietly excusing themselves. Gert whispers something to Chase, and he nods, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before following them.

Gert crosses her arms, watching Nico’s careful touches. As though she fears Karolina will shatter if she presses too hard. She forces herself to take a few steps forward, placing a hand on one of Nico’s sagging shoulders.

“We got her. She’s okay, Nico.”

“Barely,” she whispers, tearing her attention away from Karolina for a fleeting moment. She turns as Gert crouches beside her, the edges of her mascara heavily smudged. “I left her. Again.” she chokes out.

“Hey,” Gert lifts a thumb to wipe away some of the moisture, the protest she was expecting dying in Nico’s throat as a strained cry washes over it. “Nico, she would have done it if you’d agreed to it or not,” she points out. “She literally has a track record at this point.”

A reluctant laugh bubbles out of the other woman’s mouth. She sobers quickly as Karolina stirs, relaxing as she inhales deeply, still asleep.

The two women sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Nico breaks the quiet. 

“Thank you, Gert.” 

“Of course.”

\----------

The others return to the lobby later in the afternoon, giving the two women a few hours to themselves. Karolina still sleeps soundly, save for the tense expression on her face. Nico rises as the others convene at the bottom of the staircase, crossing her arms as she makes her way over. 

“She hasn’t moved.”

“Neither have you,” Chase points out, tossing her a bottle of water. “You’ve been through a lot, Nico.” 

Gert nods, reaching for his hand. “You should get some sleep. Have you gone to bed since-”

“No,” Nico interrupts. “Not strictly by choice, but-” she looks over her shoulder, inhaling as she turns back to the group. “I’ll sleep when she’s awake.” 

As if on cue, Karolina shoots to her feet. Chase is the first to notice. His expression lights up for a moment. “Hey-” he begins, starting to wave before his smile disappears.

“GET DOWN!” 

He pushes Gert out of the way, following Alex and Molly as they roll to the side. Nico turns as a wave of energy sails straight toward them. She reaches behind her, attempting to wrench her staff out of its holster. She’s swept off her feet before she can stop it, landing with a groan as the wind gets knocked out of her.

The ripple collides into the opposite wall with a reverberating boom that echoes throughout the subterranean hotel.

“What the hell?” Molly bellows, helping Alex up. 

Karolina stands defensively in the doorway to the dining room, eyes darting around the hostel.

“Hey!” Gert yells. “It’s us! You’re okay. You’re-” she screams as the taller girl faces her. Chase steps between them, gauntlets raised. 

“Please don’t make me do this,” he says, breathing heavily. “You’re safe. _We’re safe._ Nico, Molly, Alex, and Xavin got us out. We aren’t going to hurt you.”

Karolina shakes her head. “That isn’t any help,” She calls out. “Where the hell am I?”

“We’re at the hostel,” Molly offers, gesturing to the mansion. “We only found it because you crashed through the roof a few weeks ago.”

“I’m pretty sure I would’ve remembered a place like this.” Karolina says, taking in the expansive home.

Nico stands still, frozen to the spot she’d risen from after dodging Karolina’s blast. Viscous dread seeps into her veins, but she’s still not quite able to connect the dots. 

“Karolina?”

The taller girl’s attention follows the soft-spoken beckon, falling on the darkly-accented woman who’d uttered it. Her chest falls as she slowly lowers her outstretched arms.

Nico takes a few steps forward, raising a hand as she slowly approaches her.

“It’s me.” she says, once she’s close enough for a private conversation. She smiles slightly as she takes in Karolina’s soft, flushed cheeks. It’s a conscious effort to keep herself from reaching out to feel their warmth, only stopped by the sudden realization of how lost her alert, blue eyes are.

Karolina gives a slight shake of her head, desperately searching Nico for an answer. “I don’t know who you are.”

Chase lowers the fistigons. “Oh, shit.”

Gert is shaking her head, and Molly wrings her hands together as she turns away from the scene. Alex lowers himself onto the steps, dragging his hands over his face.

The corners of her Karolina’s brows pull together, though her confused expression quickly morphs as moisture begin to collect in the corners of the other girl’s eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” she offers helplessly as Nico starts to turn away, feeling a foreign tug at the way the girl begins to crumble.

Nico ignores the others as they call out to her, taking the steps two at a time until she reaches the second landing. She disappears into the first room she finds, quickly unsheathing the Staff of One and muttering a hoarse incantation.

Once the silence starts to strangle her, she breaks. The stave clatters to the ground as she falls to her knees, chest heaving as her lungs scream for more air than her rapid breathing can provide. A guttural, jagged screech writhes its way through her throat, quickly fading into steady sobs. 

Somewhere beyond her muffled eardrums she hears a voice pleading, soft and desperate: _no, no, no, no._

\----------

She waits until the solitary beam of twilight fades from the warped floorboards before moving, blindly reaching for the staff as she pulls herself to her feet. She catches a glimpse of herself in the dresser’s cracked mirror as she stands, briefly taking in her swollen eyes and shadowed cheeks. She spends a few minutes attempting to clean herself up before making her way towards the door. 

Gert peeks around the corner as she opens it, quickly rising to her feet. “Thank goodness.” 

Nico steps into the hallway slowly, gesturing to the scattered mass of pillows and blankets. “What’s this?”

The violet-haired girl looks down. “We went to check on you a few minutes after everything, and it was completely silent. I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she winces. “Not in danger, I mean.”

“Sorry I worried you guys,” Nico apologizes, looking sheepish. “Just said the first spell that came to mind.”

“You don’t need to be sorry for anything,” Gert reminds her, sneaking a hand into the back pocket of her jeans. “Molly and I got her settled into a room.” 

Nico preoccupies herself with a loose string on her cardigan. A short silence passes between them before a timid voice cracks through. “Is she okay, aside from-” 

“Yeah,” Gert assures her. “She’s completely fine, physically.” 

Nico nods, swallowing hard. “That’s good.”

Gert starts collecting the comforters into her arms. “Dinner is in ten, if you’re feeling up to it. I can bring it up to you, if it’s too much.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Hey,” Gert brushes a strand of hair behind her ear, pausing. “This is all new to Karolina, too. She’s going to have a million questions, but I think,” she exhales. “We should take this slow.” 

Nico’s cracked facade must let something slip.

”She might still be in there somewhere,” Gert amends quickly. “I just don’t want her to be overwhelmed.”

The smaller girl lets out a noise of agreement, before pointing towards the opposite wall. “I should probably go fix-” She gestures to herself. “this.”

Gert musters a smile over the bundle before heading towards her and Chase’s room. Nico follows after her, taking a left towards her own. 

Once the door closes behind her, she sets on correcting her ruined makeup, trying to let the familiar routine distract her from, well, _everything._ She emerges after a quarter of an hour, descending the stairs and following the muted conversation. 

There is a short moment of silence as she emerges from the shadows. She nods, the half-hearted smile she flashes them enough encouragement for the conversation to continue. She takes a seat next to Molly, deliberately placing a dusty centerpiece between her view of the end of the table. She swallows the lump in her throat that appears as the younger gives her hand a brief squeeze.

Nico is quiet as the others converse, though she obliges Molly as the younger girls calls a toast for the safe return of Chase and Karolina. Nico’s attention shifts to the end of the table for a brief moment at the mention of her name, quickly flitting away when Karolina meets her gaze.

Chase wraps an arm around Gert as she leans into him. She hates that there’s a bitter taste of resentment on her tongue at the sight of them, so she looks away, down to her still-full plate. She sets about rearranging the small pile of mashed potatoes, forcing every thought out of her mind until everyone finishes. 

\-----------

Nico tries to follow the others into the lobby, tensing as she hears a chair scrape and soft footfalls behind her. 

“Nico?”

Her nails dig into her palms as she faces the taller girl. Moonlight silhouettes her, the way it had the night they’d rescued Leslie. Two weeks ago. A lifetime. 

“Have I done something wrong?” Karolina questions quietly, crossing her arms.

The inquiry takes Nico aback. She shakes her head, swallowing hard before responding. “You haven’t done anything, Karolina.”

“Then what is it?” she asks softly. “You haven’t said a word to me since I got back.”

Nico’s heart lurches at the tremulous edges of the other girl’s words. She remembers the sleepless nights she'd spent crying into a pillow, thinking she’d lost her for good. And yet, here Karolina is, alive and well, only to find herself surrounded by people in silent mourning.

None of this is Karolina’s fault, but becoming a total stranger cuts just as deep as the thought of her being dead. With no closure, Nico’s forced to grapple with a painful, physical manifestation of everything- _everyone_\- she’s lost.

“You meant something to me.”

It’s not a question, and the sureness of her words causes Nico’s breath to hitch. Karolina must notice.

“I don’t know in what way.” She adds quickly, cheeks flushing.

“You had a life before this, and it’s gone now," Nico croaks. She looks up as moisture pools at the bottom of her eyes. There's a pang as she draws in a breath. “It’s not your fault, Karolina, but I can’t forget any of it.”

“I'm not asking you to,” Her eyes scan Nico's face, and, for a moment, Nico sees the girl who'd pulled her aside at the dance. “I’d still like to get to know you, Nico.”

Guilt seeps into her Nico's veins. It’s such a reasonable, human request. Karolina would never be able to deny her this if the roles were reversed, no matter how much it hurt her. "I can do that." 

Relief washes over Karolina’s face. She holds out her hand. “Friends?”

It’s enough to coax a wet chuckle out of Nico. “Of course.” She says, obliging her. Karolina sobers as their hands meet, letting it linger for a few extra moments before lifting it to her face to stifle a yawn.

“It’s been a long day,” Nico points out. “You should get some sleep.”

The two women take the stairs to opposite ends of the second landing, turning to face each other as they reach the top.

Karolina flashes her a smile. “Goodnight, Nico.” 

A bittersweet warmth blooms in Nico’s chest at the way her voice carries. “And to you, Karolina.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi- I apologize for the slow update. To make a long story short, I lost my last surviving parent shortly before the end of last year. It's been hitting me pretty hard. I had most of this update written, and tried to use this story as a means to distract myself from my current situation. I don't really have an exact timeframe as to how often new chapters will be uploaded.
> 
> This story will be drawing upon some elements of the new season, but will diverge from some of the storylines. As of right now, I don't have plans to include Morgan Le Fay as a plot point in this story. (Some bits of dialogue are taken from the show, and all credit for that dialogue does to the Runaways writers.) Instead, it will be my best attempt at intertwining the comics and the series with the story I am trying to tell.
> 
> That being said, I hope you enjoy this new installment! You can find me @consteIlationsx on Twitter (the first lowercase L is an upper case i), or on Tumblr @constellatedcolors.


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